


it's alright, i'll pick you up

by stilljunhui (acyria)



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Predebut? I guess, Yang Jeongin | I.N-centric, kinda jeongin centric so, what are they called - Freeform, what's their ship name
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 18:09:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15467082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acyria/pseuds/stilljunhui
Summary: Yang Jeongin was beginning to think he’d never get over being perpetually nervous in the JYP building; still he does, at least on most days, with Hwang Hyunjin to thank.





	it's alright, i'll pick you up

**Author's Note:**

> I’m a fairly new Stray Kids fan so please excuse any factual mistakes,,, or if I don’t get their personalities that well yet (although I spent a few nights binge watching their stuff so hopefully…..) Overall I fell in love with Hyunin / Hyunjeong / Jeongjin (wHAT is the ship name) so here I am!!! Highly inspired by the various times Hyunjin would speak about his first impression of Jeongin. I also love how Jeongin reacted to it once with a shy sounding “I remember…” like aaaaah okay moving on!!
> 
> This was only supposed to be a short stint based on that prompt but it somehow blew into being 2k+ words exploring things some more with added light angst SO UHM. 
> 
> Title taken from their song, Grow Up (specifically Hyunjin's rap!!)

Yang Jeongin was beginning to think he’d never get over being perpetually nervous in the JYP building. He was a young, Busan boy who made his way to the big city of Seoul and in one the biggest entertainment companies—he would like to think he somehow earned his right to be nervous about things, thank you very much. Still, even after a few weeks, he would still spend most of his time inside the building with careful steps and a need to hide away.

 

Specifically, Jeongin found that the vocal practice rooms were the place to be. It was the perfect location to just stay by himself, singing his heart out so that he could practice without worrying about being judged. He would stay in a room located along the most isolated hallway he could find on their practice room floors. It was there that he spent most of his free time apart from regular training.

 

It was also there that he first met Hwang Hyunjin. 

 

People didn’t normally enter a room they knew was occupied—and it was easy to tell if a room was occupied, too, by the light that would shine through—which meant Hyunjin _definitely_ meant to enter the room. Jeongin was in the middle of singing when he heard the door creak open, making him immediately stop and turn towards the sound, heart caught in his throat. Was he being too loud? Did his voice bother someone?

 

Instead he was met with a look of awe on the other boy’s face.

 

“Your voice is so nice!” Hyunjin had gushed immediately, entering the room and closing the door behind him. His eyes were sparkling as he stared at Jeongin, who was still a little too shell shocked at the then stranger invading his space. “Can I stay here while you sing some more?”

 

“I—“ 

 

“Oh, sorry, my name is Hyunjin,” the boy interrupted to introduce himself, arm extended for a handshake that Jeongin nearly missed, but eventually took with a clammy hand. “Hwang Hyunjin. I haven’t seen you around before, but I’ve only been here a few months, anyway.”

 

Finally shaking himself out of the shock a little bit, Jeongin let go of the other boy’s hand before he held it for a bit too long and replied, “I’m Jeongin. Yang Jeongin. Uhm, I’m sort of new, too.”

 

Hyunjin nodded in understanding, “that makes sense. I’m in the dance team so I rarely get to hear the vocal trainees practice, but I’m sure I would have noticed your voice in a heartbeat if I’ve heard it before.” 

 

The boy smiled brightly again, his eyes turning into little crescent shapes as he positioned himself on the chair that Jeongin ignored in favour of singing while standing up. He was actually serious about staying in the room, Jeongin realized belatedly, turning him into a nervous ball of worry once more. There was a part of him that was also secretly glad about the turn of events, too; it gave him a little bit of encouragement regarding how his voice sounded.

 

“W-what song do you wanna hear?” Jeongin mustered up the courage to ask.

 

“The song you were singing earlier sounds great,” the other boy replied with a smile. “Kim Bumsoo’s I Miss You, right?” 

 

The younger boy nodded, turning away from the other before he began to sing again. It came out a bit timidly at first, still finding the entire situation bizarre in a way, before Jeongin eventually loosened up and sang freely. He stopped after a few verses and was met with an enthusiastic applause. At least, as enthusiastic as one person could make it, as Hyunjin got up from his seat.

 

“You’re really good! But ah, I have to go, I told the dance coach I’ll only disappear for a little while,” Hyunjin said, smiling cheekily as he glanced at the wall clock in the room before heading out. He stopped halfway out the door and called back, “I’ll look for you again!”

 

It turned out that Hyunjin wasn’t kidding at all when he said that. It came as a surprise when Jeongin found himself in the other boy’s presence again in the company cafeteria the next day. He was seated with Hyunjin across him, with the other boy smiling brightly as he asked for yet another song. The younger boy still couldn’t believe it—there were dozens of other trainees out there with far superior voices than he had, why was Hyunjin following _him_ around?

 

“Sing _here_? In the middle of the cafeteria?” Jeongin asked, bewildered.

 

Hyunjin paused to consider this, before ultimately shrugging, “I just want to hear you sing again. I can wait till we’re back upstairs.”

 

The younger boy easily chose the latter option, dragging Hyunjin back inside his usual vocal room after they ate. It became routine, soon after. Hyunjin would pop into the room at least once a day, followed Jeongin even when the younger was just walking around, and even right before Jeongin left for the dorms sometimes. Each time, he would ask for a song with that bright smile of his that made it hard for Jeongin to say no. 

 

Things stayed simple for a long time before it began to escalate, although not in the way Jeongin would have thought. They end up getting placed in the same group and dorm, debut becoming a real thing, near yet also so far with the reality show they still had to do. He ended up nearly forgetting that the moments in the vocal room alone with Hyunjin happened with the whirlwind of staying in the group overpowering his thoughts. 

 

That was, until Jeongin found himself in the same vocal room as usual, alone and crying his eyes out.

 

He knew things were going to be hard, but he didn’t think it would come with his own mentality that he didn’t _want_ it to seem that way. They all had their share of trials—especially the older members—so why add to the burden? With elimination being a reality that came as a harsh blow with Minho’s departure, Jeongin was beginning to fall more and more into a spiral of doubt. He was the youngest. He tried hard, but would it be good enough?

 

“Jeongin? Are you here?”

 

Even without his answer, the door opened to reveal Hyunjin, a look of worry on his features that made Jeongin immediately turn to hide his own face. He rubbed at his eyes harshly to get rid of the tears as he heard Hyunjin sigh and walk over to kneel on the floor beside him. He soon felt a hand on his head, gentle yet firm, as Jeongin couldn’t help but feel the need to cry even more. So he did, tears flowing again as Hyunjin continued to stroke his head, stopping only when Jeongin began to calm down as well.

 

“I figured you’d be here since you weren’t in the dorm,” Hyunjin said after a few moments of silence. He paused for a bit before continuing, “you really love this room, huh?”

 

Not trusting his voice not to crack just yet, Jeongin nodded.

 

“I do too.”

 

“You do?” Jeongin couldn’t help but ask, still sniffing. 

 

Hyunjin grinned, “of course! This was where we met and where I heard the best vocals ever.”

 

The younger boy tried to laugh at that, but managed only a weak smile as he remembered how things were. Things were simple, back then. He should be glad he had the chance to debut; his days of wondering when debut would come were gone. Still, that also meant moments where he would stay in that same room, singing with Hyunjin as his audience without a care in the world as time flew by, were gone too. Instead, it was also replaced with a fear that the chance to debut was going to be taken away from him all over again.

 

That made everything so much harder.

 

“Look at me,” Hyunjin said, voice suddenly serious as he waited until Jeongin met his eyes before he continued. “I won’t let you get eliminated. None of us will, so you have to trust us on that, okay? Come to us if you problems. Come to _me_ , and I promise I’ll listen to anything and everything.”

 

“I’m sorry. I just want you guys to be able to count on me too,” Jeongin replied softly, tears already beginning to fall once again.

 

“As if we don’t? Come on, baby,” the older boy said, adopting a teasing tone he liked to use whenever he called Jeongin by his nickname, smiling despite the situation. His hands came up to rest on Jeongin’s face, essentially squishing it, thumbs wiping away the tears that fell. “We know you can do it. Besides, I’m pretty sure Chan’s not going to allow us to debut incomplete, just wait until he whines JYP’s ear off about Minho.”

 

The tears finally stopped to give way to a small chuckle, as Hyunjin continued to squish the younger boy’s face regardless, until Jeongin had enough strength to attempt to push him off. Instead of moving away, Hyunjin went in for a hug instead, nearly bringing the other boy down since he was still on the floor after all. Jeongin easily hugged back as tightly as he could.

 

“Thank you,” he muttered, and knew even without seeing the other boy that Hyunjin was smiling.

 

It would be a lie to say that from then on things weren’t hard.

 

Things were definitely still really, really, really hard, but it was also ultimately easier. Jeongin fell into the group’s dynamic soon enough, slowly becoming more comfortable with who he was, his voice, his talents overall. He would show his negative emotions a little more, but he was also naturally bright and happy, anyway. He liked all of his older members, that was for sure, but a small part of him would always keep Hyunjin just a notch higher than the rest. If he was aware of it, he didn’t dwell on the thought too much.

 

Within months, Felix’s elimination comes and goes, a flurry of emotions and longer nights of practice, before the news that both him and Minho could return was announced. The showcase was a success. Debut—with all nine members—was going to be a real thing, and Jeongin couldn’thelp but cry all over again at that. He still had Hyunjin there to laugh at him and wipe away his tears at the same time, chanting _we did it we did it we did it_ all over again.

 

Still, Yang Jeongin continued to be nervous in the JYP building. 

 

He had to be, he figured, if he wanted to keep improving and doing his best. It wasn’t the same kind of nerves as before, though, when he was new and just starting out. The feeling of hiding away was replaced with the constant need to be surrounded by at least one member of Stray Kids, his worries and insecurities easily flying away if that were the case. Still, some days, he still found himself in the same vocal practice room, although never alone.

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever asked,” Jeongin began to say, pausing in the middle of singing Hyunjin’s latest request. “Why _did_ you keep following me around back then?”

 

“I like your voice,” Hyunjin replied simply, still occupying the only chair in the room as he looked up at the other boy.

  
  
“That’s it?”

 

The older boy shrugged, “you’re a cute boy with a great voice. I didn’t want to deny myself that. Why didn’t you ask me to leave you alone?”

 

The compliment caused the younger boy to pause for a moment, a light blush on his features that he hoped Hyunjin didn’t notice. It took him a few seconds to register Hyunjin’s return question; even longer to think of an answer. He knew the obvious was there—he didn’t want to accidentally offend the other boy by shooing him away—but he also knew he never did _feel_ the need to ask Hyunjin to leave at all.

 

The younger boy covered up his embarrassment by clearing his throat and mimicking the older boy’s earlier shrug, “I liked your company, I guess.”

 

“You guess?” Hyunjin parroted, a mock look of hurt on his features.

 

Okay, so maybe Jeongin wasn’t that nervous anymore, at least not during moments like these. The smile came quick and easy, and the laughter even easier, as he refused to answer even when Hyunjin continued to pout. He knew the older boy was aware of the answer even without him outright saying it, anyway. If there were anybody’s company Jeongin enjoyed most, it was his; they wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not _completely_ okay with how this went so catch me writing mORE eventually to satisfy my growing need to write about my newfound muses.........  
>  Twt: @stilljunhui; I would love to follow more Stray Kids stans so pls hmu and we can yell about HyunIN!!! If you like my work and would like to support me, please consider buying me coffee! https://ko-fi.com/stilljunhui


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